Audi Says It's First With Laser Headlights on R8 LMX

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May 9, 2014

To drum up a little extra anticipation for the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans and its R18 e-tron quattro race car, Audi pulled the cover off a limited-edition version of the Audi R8 called the Audi R8 LMX. Only 99 examples of the Audi R8 LMX will be built, and adding to the exclusivity of these cars, each will come standard laser-beam light technology for the high-beam headlights.

In doing so, Audi claims that the R8 LMX will be the “first production model of the world with laser-beam light“ technology. For those keeping score, the 2015 BMW i8 will be offered with laser high-beam headlights as an option when the car goes on sale next month, so it’s not clear if the Audi R8 LMX will go on sale before the i8 or if it will just be the first car to offer the technology as standard equipment.

Either way, it doesn't really matter to buyers in the U.S., as laser-beam headlights have yet to receive approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Aside from the semantics of which car will be first to offer these trick headlights, Audi is ensuring there are plenty of other reasons to get excited about the R8 LMX. From a styling standpoint, the R8 LMX can be differentiated from other R8 models with its Ara Blue crystal blue paint job and red anodized calipers. The LMX has a bit of the R8 GT styling to it with the fixed rear spoiler, front fascia aero wings and the rear fascia diffuser, which are all made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) – as are the door mirrors and the signature side blades. More CFRP is found inside the R8 LMX on the door trim and instrument panel, and other unique touches include the Alcantara headliner, Nappa leather seats with blue-accented diamond pattern and Ara Blue seat back covers

All of these special R8s will come in coupe form only with the 570-hp V-10 and the seven-speed S tronic gearbox, and they will go on sale this summer in Germany listed at 210,000 euros, which converts to around $289,000.